A nephew of Uzbekistan’s Islam Karimov, who was once tipped as a potential successor to the aging strongman, has been detained on suspicion of operating an organized crime ring.

Citing a source at the Fergana Region prosecutor's office, Uznews.net reported today that Akbarali Abdullayev, a son of the first lady's sister, was arrested October 10 on embezzlement, tax evasion and bribery charges.

"He is in a detention center in Tashkent at the moment. His arrest warrant has been sanctioned from on high," Uznews.net quoted the source as saying.

Abdullayev and his mother Tamara Sobirova, the president’s sister-in-law, are widely believed to control large swathes of the economy in Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley, including industrial giants like the Fergana oil refinery and a cement plant in Kyvasay.